仕舞う

• Reading: しまう
• Romaji: shimau
• Kanji breakdown: 仕 (shi) — to do, to perform; 舞 (bu/mau) — to dance, to perform
• Pronunciation: /ɕi.ma.ɯ/

Meaning

To put away; to store; to conclude; to finish; also used as an auxiliary to express completion, often with regret.

A Group 1 (godan) verb with two distinct functions. As a standalone verb, it means to put something away or to conclude a performance or season. As an auxiliary in the form 〜てしまう, it expresses the completion of an action, often with a sense of regret or unintended consequence. This auxiliary usage is extremely common in spoken Japanese. The kanji form is used for the independent verb; the auxiliary is typically written in hiragana.

Examples

1. 使い終わった道具はすぐに棚に仕舞っておきなさい。 Put the tools away in the shelf straight away once you are done with them.
2. 公演が終わりに近づき、大道具を舞台から仕舞う作業が始まった。 As the performance drew to a close, the work of clearing the stage sets began.
3. 気づかぬうちに財布を忘れてしまっていた。 Without realising it, he had left his wallet behind.

Usage Guide

Context: storage, theatre, daily life, completion, regret

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From 仕 (to perform, to do) and 舞う (to dance, to perform on stage). Originally referred to concluding a theatrical performance, hence putting the stage props away. Over time the meaning generalised to storing things and finishing tasks, and the auxiliary usage developed from the completion sense.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: General